Thursday: Redeemed From a Curse
(Gal. 3:9-14)
Paul’s opponents were no doubt stunned by his bold words in Galatians 3:10. They certainly did not think themselves to be under a curse; if anything, they expected to be blessed for their obedience.
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Yet, Paul is unequivocal: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them’ ” (NKJV).
Paul is contrasting two completely different alternatives: salvation by faith and salvation by works. The covenant blessings and curses outlined in Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28 were straightforward. Those who obeyed were blessed, those who disobeyed were cursed. That means if a person wants to rely on obedience to the law for acceptance with God, then the whole law needs to be kept. We do not have the liberty to pick and choose what we want to follow; nor should we assume that God is willing to overlook a few mistakes here and there. It is all or nothing.
This is, of course, bad news not only for Gentiles but for Paul’s legalistic opponents, as well, because we “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). No matter how hard we try to be good, the law can only condemn us as lawbreakers.
How did Christ deliver us from the curse of the law? See Gal. 3:13, 2 Cor. 5:21.
Paul introduces another metaphor to explain what God has done for us in Christ. The word redeem means “to buy back.” It was used as the ransom price paid to release hostages or as the price paid to free a slave. Because the wages of sin is death, the curse of failing to keep the law was often a death sentence. The ransom paid for our salvation was not insignificant; it cost God the life of His own Son (John 3:16). Jesus ransomed us from the curse by becoming our sin-bearer (1 Cor. 6:20, 1 Cor. 7:23). He voluntarily took our curse upon Himself and suffered in our behalf the full penalty of sin (2 Cor. 5:21).
Paul cites Deuteronomy 21:23 as scriptural proof. According to Jewish custom, a person was under God’s curse if, after execution, the body was hung upon a tree. Jesus’ death on the cross was seen as an example of this curse (Acts 5:30, 1 Pet. 2:24).
No wonder, then, that the cross was a stumbling block for some Jews who could not fathom the idea that the Messiah was accursed by God. But this was exactly God’s plan. Yes, the Messiah bore a curse, but it was not His own — it was ours!
(46)
As lawmaker, Christ could have changed the law Himself or the punishment that came with transgression of His laws – death [James 4:12 – There is only one Lawgiver and judge….]. He could have easily done away with it or taken away the curse. Yet He upheld the principles that He set - that sin and its consequence (death) were so grave that there would be no less a price or substitute. [Rom 6;23 – For the wages of Sin is death…]. Sin was enmity to God and His Righteousness, His Holiness [Rom 8:7 - For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will - NLT].
Christ exhibited to mankind the ultimate act of love & sacrifice that – we were His, now lost and He would redeem us at the greatest cost. His own life. Such great a love, for He would not want anyone of us to go through what He bore on the cross…[John 3:16, Rom 5:8 & 10]. The physical pain was not unique as it was the punishment for the common criminal of the day by crucifixion under the Roman rule. But to imagine the worst human suffering and multiply that millions of times over for every single person all at the same time – Christ endured this in His frail human body. So He did what no human could do, that no human would have to do, ever. Was the weight of sin & punishment of sin whilst on the cross of Calvary so great that the Lord felt separated from the Father…[Mathew 27:46 -…Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?].
If we felt a tinge of the ugliness, pain and suffering of sin in its entirety, not only its impact on us but on everyone else whom our decisions or actions touched, would we continue to disobey God or to take sin lightly? Would one continue to take the Grace of God for granted? [Rom 6:1-2 – 1 What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?…]
Rom 5:17 - For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ – NLT.
Christ did not only redeem us from death but His righteousness bestowed in us that glory which was lost in the Garden of Eden. He took that curse [For the wages of sin is death: Romans 6:23] that alienated us from the glory of God and clothed us with His garment of purity. Sin had engulfed us [Romans 3:23-24]. In Christ all our impurities are purged. God hath made him(Christ)to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him [2 Cor 5:21]. All our impurities became His impurities in order to overcome sin for us.
He felt the brutal truth of what sin has done to man ["My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matt 27:46]. He was subject to the infirmities and weaknesses by which man lives, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” [Matt 8:17 quoted]. This is unfathomable. Why? Because He loved us, He loves us and will love us always. "Through His own atonement provided for man an infinite fund of moral power, will not fail to employ this power in our behalf. We may take our sins and sorrows to His feet; for He loves us. His every look and word invites our confidence. He will shape and mold our characters according to His own will".{COL 157.2}.
Through Him we are not fighting a losing battle. Victory is guaranteed. The battle is won by His blood shed at Calvary. Look Up To Him Whcurse[g On The Cross and live. The tree that was a symbol of curse ["for he that is hanged is accursed of God" Deut 21:23] is now a symbol of victory because He bore our sins in His flesh, not in part but all, that curse for us.[1 Pet 2:24]
Paul writes, “Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich” [2 Corinthians 8:9].Jesus Christ looked down from His Majesty: for dense clouds of spiritual darkness and gloom enveloped the world and gave Himself as the crowning blessing of salvation, “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” [Romans 6:23].
He loved me ere I knew Him and all my praise is due Him. Thank you Jesus for redeeming a wretch like me
There is no Grace without repentance. God sent John The Babtist ahead of Jesus to prepare the way for us. John's baptism is a baptism of repentance. Unless a person repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit they will perish. Mark16:16, Acts2:38, Acts19:4..
But doesn't God's goodness (grace) lead us to repentance? Romans 2:4. I don't read anywhere in Scripture that my repentance leads to God's grace.
How do we become partakers of that grace William?
Being partakers of God's grace is one issue. The fact that God is a God full of grace is a totally different issue. For God so loved the world (God did not wait for the world to repent to make his grace available to humanity,) that he gave his only begotten son..."
He not only bore the curse of the law for us when he bore Gods judgement for our sin on the cross but he also kept the law perfectly, the letter of the law and the spirit of the law, so that his righteousness became ours. God require perfection in order to be saved. Jesus fulfilled this.
He took my place at Calvary.....Thank you Jesus. I obey your law not to be saved but because I am saved. Alleluia for the cross!!!
Yes! But our obedience because we are saved is always a flawed obedience even with the help of God and his Holy Spirit and his son Jesus. But then God sees Jesus' flawless obedience standing in place of our flawed obedience. Praise his Holy Name for this!
Though flawed God requires it. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil".[Ecclesiastes 12:13]
It is interesting how the apostle Paul mentions the Old Testament curse in Galatians 3:9-14. Yet, that OT quote does not say that those who are of the works of the law are cursed. It just simply says that those who do not continue in those things that are written in that book of the law are cursed thereby inferring that no one was ever able to continue in those things written there in the law to do them flawlessly. The apostle Paul then in other places mentions quotes from the OT from other prophets including King David in his Psalms things like "There is none righteous no not one" etc. In other words, only by faith in what Jesus would do and has done and is doing for all who look to him for their righteousness will be counted righteous by the Father and only by faith and not works----otherwise we could all boast about our works to be saved by them.